Researching one's genealogy is a bit like a treasure hunt. As you learn more and more about your ancestors, surprises keep occuring. I am thankful to all the people who have taken the time to research the past. I aim to contribute as well. I am working on my Peck ancestry which goes back to Joseph and some of his immigrant sons who arrived in 1638. Other names include Vanderwerker, Van Patten, Shoup/Shoop/Schupp, McNeil, Cramer, Paine, McDougall, Lant, Reid, Campbell, Wagman, Foster, Cushman, Grandy, Bartlett, Haverly, Duesler, Snell, Wendell, Glen, Hawley, Harmon, etc. I get great satisfaction in discovering and entering these historical records, before they are lost for good. Most of my entries are in MA, RI, CT and upstate NY where I live. I am a retired HS biology and chem. teacher. I have completed 10 Earthwatch expeditions and travelled to over 60 countries. Climbing mountains is also appealing having been up Kilimanjaro, Whitney, Olympus, Rysy, Ben Nevis, Algonquin, Marcy and others. Genealogy is another fun and productive way to spend my time. One of my great joys is to visit villages where my ancestors lived before coming to America. In 2010 I visited Hingham and Beccles, England where the paternal Pecks lived in the 1500 and 1600's. We also visited Petten, Holland for the maternal Van Pattens and Meppel, Holland for the Van Alstynes and Vanderwerkers. In 2012 I visited Scotland for the McNeils and Reids and then the Mozel River Valley in the Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany for the Shoups/Schupps and Mais lines.

Ida May Ten Broeck EllisAny chance you are related to Dorothy Ellis Griffin's mother Ida May? I am researching Ida's mother Fannie Ten Broeck because she is the second wife of my g-g grandfather Peter Braziel. I have never seen a photograph of Peter or Fannie, I am trying to track one down. thanks.

Patience BowenHi Dave,As your genealogical research has discovered, the Peck/Bowen lines have been very interesting to say the least. As a descendent of Patience as well (8th granddaughter), my research found me traveling to places I would probably never have contemplated.Until I found the DAR (30 yrs ago), family history was just who my immediate living family members were. I so wished I had developed a desire to know more of my Bowen ancestry when I was young from my own great grandparents while they were alive. Fortunately, the information I was able to recover helped me tremendously over the years.I wish to retain Patience's memorial to pass on to family members.Regards, Vicki Thorpe

From what I can tell, Ella Luffman is actually Cornelia's sister. Ella married Charles Luffman, but he ended up living with his sister in the 1910 census, and she ran a boarding house where Cornelia lived (although the census shows the wrong age for her).

I'm wondering if they divorced, or the family did not recognize the marriage. She is not mentioned in Charles' obituary.